Life
Kitchen

Foodies, rejoice: These are the subscription boxes you'll love

Get more than pizza and Chinese delivered to your door.
By Carlos Cadorniga  on 
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

Our Top 10 Picks

Home Chef (opens in a new tab)

Best For Beginning Chefs

Your package will include pre-measured ingredients and recipe cards, so all you have to do is get cooking when the package arrives.

The Good

  • Choose your order from a weekly menu
  • Good for beginners

The Bad

  • Doesn't have the celeb chef element of a Blue Apron, if you care

The Bottom Line

If you're just getting started, Home Chef could be the way to go.
Pros & Cons

Hello Fresh (opens in a new tab)

Best For Feeding A Busy Family

You can choose between the Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick and Easy, and Pescatarian plans to feed up to four people.

The Good

  • Good for feeding a family
  • Many plans to choose from

The Bad

  • Not much!

The Bottom Line

Hello Fresh is particularly great if you're short on time.
Pros & Cons

Factor Meals (opens in a new tab)

Save $120 by using the code ZIFF120OFF at checkout.
Pros & Cons

Freshly (opens in a new tab)

Best For Breakfast Lovers

What makes Freshly special is that they also include options for breakfast, which other meal subscription services leave out.

The Good

  • Offers breakfast
  • Menu updated weekly

The Bad

  • Not the absolute cheapest, but not pricey either

The Bottom Line

If you're a fan of breakfast, this could be the meal delivery plan for you.
Pros & Cons

Blue Apron (opens in a new tab)

Best For International Cuisine

Each recipe features the full list of ingredients and directions and even tips and tricks from pro chefs on how to prepare your food like a master.

The Good

  • Tips and recipes from pro and celeb chefs
  • International cuisine

The Bad

  • Not much!

The Bottom Line

Blue Apron has honed its system down to a science, and even celeb chefs are getting into the mix.
Pros & Cons

Winc (opens in a new tab)

Best If Your Favorite Food Is Wine

Winc is a wine delivery service that helps you choose a vintage that suits your tastes.

The Good

  • Choose wines yourself or create a palate profile

The Bad

  • Pricey

The Bottom Line

If you don't know much about wine and want to learn more, Winc could be worth the price.
Pros & Cons

SnackSack (opens in a new tab)

Best For Healthy Snacking

The SnackSack box includes 11-13 different healthy snacks every month, each with different themes and flavors.

The Good

  • Choose from Classic, Vegan, and Gluten Free plans
  • Particularly good for vegans, who have few snacking options

The Bad

  • A little pricey if you don't already spend on snacks

The Bottom Line

If you're trying to snack better, this is a great way to get started, especially if you have dietary restrictions.
Pros & Cons

Candy Club (opens in a new tab)

Best For Sugar Addicts

According to the product page, a subscription to CandyClub equates to a 50% savings on candy compared to premium candy shops.

The Good

  • 50% cheaper than premium candy shops
  • Try new candy you've never heard of
  • $15 off and free shipping on your first box

The Bad

  • Not the best idea if you're trying to cut out sugar

The Bottom Line

If you're buying a lot of candy and don't plan to stop, this is a good way to save money on the premium stuff.
Pros & Cons

Spice Madam (opens in a new tab)

Best If You Already Love To Cook

This globally-themed box is curated with 10-15 items that can include spices, seeds, recipe cards, and even a cultural music playlist.

The Good

  • 5% is donated to charity
  • Try out spices from all over the world

The Bad

  • Pricey

The Bottom Line

If you're a cook who loves to experiment and learn about the world through food, this is a great way to do so.
Pros & Cons

Bokksu (opens in a new tab)

Most Creative Snack Box

Each monthly Bokksu box features snacks from different regions of Japan as well as a tea pairing.

The Good

  • Features snacks from different regions of Japan
  • Each box comes with a tea pairing and tasting guide

The Bad

  • Can be pricey if it's in addition to your current snacks

The Bottom Line

What a cool way to try and learn about the tastes of Japan.
Pros & Cons

Food rocks. Whether we're eating it, Instagramming it, or just drooling over a recipe video, if it's yummy, we're into it.

There are plenty of food-themed subscription boxes out there. Some are useful for planning out your meals, while others are great for trying new foods and snacks.

These are the food-themed subscription boxes we're loving right now:

Best For Beginning Chefs
Credit: Home Chef
Specs
  • Price: $9.95/meal, typically

With Home Chef(opens in a new tab), you can schedule weekly deliveries of different dishes. Your package will include pre-measured ingredients and recipe cards, so all you have to do is get cooking when the package arrives. 

The website's menu updates with new recipes every week, and the weekly price depends on what you decide to order. Each meal typically costs $9.95 unless the recipe states otherwise.

Each recipe page features the approximate cook time, its level of difficulty, and even how long the ingredients are good for so you can plan out your meals. If you're trying to become a personal chef, or just looking to sharpen your skills, then Home Chef is an excellent start.

Best For Feeding A Busy Family
Credit: Hello Fresh
Specs
  • Price: About $10/meal

With HelloFresh(opens in a new tab), tailor your deliveries and meals based on how many people you're cooking for and the amount of recipes you want to receive in a given week. You can choose between the Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick and Easy, and Pescatarian plans to feed up to four people. Pricing is broken down per meal, so if you're buying two meals each week for two people, that works out to be $57.95 per week. (Although they often run introductory rates where you can knock 50% off your first box.)

You'll be able to choose from 15 new recipes each week, and the pre-measured ingredients always take less than an hour to prepare — often just 30 mins. Choose recipes that fit into your diet, or opt for new flavors you've never tried. 

PROMOTED
Credit: Factor Meals
Specs
  • Deal: Save $120 by using the code ZIFF120OFF at checkout.
Best For Breakfast Lovers
Credit: Freshly
Specs
  • Price: Starting at $8.99 per meal

For more options on self-prep meals, look to Freshly(opens in a new tab) to expand your menu.

With Freshly you can receive 4 meals for $57.15 a week, 6 for $69.93 a week, 9 for $95.40 a week, or a whopping 12 meals for $119.87 a week. That's a lot of chicken.

What makes Freshly special is that they also include options for breakfast, which other meal subscription services leave out. The menu is updated weekly and includes specs on things like gluten or soy so you can safely avoid allergens.

Recent dinner menus have included Southwest Chicken Bowls, Peach Balsamic Pork Chops, and Garlic and Herb Shrimp, while breakfast choices range from Berry Porridge to omelettes and frittatas.

Best For International Cuisine
Credit: Blue Apron
Specs
  • Price: Starting at $8.99/meal

Each Blue Apron(opens in a new tab) recipe features the full list of ingredients and directions, suggestions for cooking utensils, and even tips and tricks from pro chefs on how to prepare your food like a master. Your weekly menu of choices might even feature a guest recipe from a celebrity chef. Whether you're cooking for a two-person plan (starting at $9.99 per serving) or a family of four (starting at $8.99 per serving), these meals will make dinner into a true feast.

Blue Apron tends to have world-inspired recipes than other food prep boxes out there. Case in point: recent menu items have included things like Chicken Tinga Tostadas and Korean Rice Cakes.

Best If Your Favorite Food Is Wine
Specs
  • Price: Bottles start at $13

With all those tasty meals you're getting, you'll probably want some wine. Winc(opens in a new tab) (formerly known as Club W), is a wine delivery service that helps you choose a vintage that suits your tastes. You can choose from their vast selection each month or let Winc choose for you based on your "Palate Profile." 

Prices vary depending on which wines you choose, and bottles start as low as $13. New members can get 4 bottles for $29.95 with free shipping.

Best For Healthy Snacking
Credit: SnackSack
Specs
  • Price: Starts at $27.95/month

The worst thing about starting a new diet is that you're probably cutting out all of the snacks that you used to love. This subscription box, however, could help you replace Cheetos and chocolate with far healthier alternatives. 

The SnackSack box(opens in a new tab) includes 11 different healthy snacks every month, each with different themes and flavors. You can sign up for $27.95 per month, and choose from the Classic, Vegan, Gluten-Free, & Vegan+Gluten-Free options.

Reviewers have called SnackSack a great starting point for new vegans to snack guilt-free.

Best For Sugar Addicts
Credit: Candy Club
Specs
  • Price: Starts at $29.99/month

If you'd rather not cut the candy and sweets from your life, then CandyClub(opens in a new tab) is here for you.

According to the product page, a subscription to CandyClub equates to a 50% savings on candy compared to premium candy shops. The Fun Box includes six 6-oz candy jars and costs $29.99 per month, while the Party Box has six 13-oz jars for $39.99 per month, depending on how much you want to feed your sugar obsession. Shop through different candy suggestions, or channel your inner Willy Wonka and curate your own box.

Customers have loved getting to try new things that they can't normally find in the market, while some claim that eating some of the more common treats taste better through CandyClub. Quite the claim, must test for further evidence.

Best If You Already Love To Cook
Credit: Spice Madam
Specs
  • Price: Starts at $20/month

For people who love to cook, experimenting with new spices is no small thrill. Luckily, the Spice Madam(opens in a new tab) is here to grant all of your seasoning-related wishes.

This globally themed box is curated with 10-15 items that can include spices, seeds, recipe cards, and even a cultural music playlist. It's a great way to add a real kick to your cooking experiments, and the contents are even vegetarian-friendly and gluten free. 5% of each subscription is donated to different charities that support children.

Subscribers love this box for their easy and fun recipes, while others have enjoyed learning about the cultural background of their items and gaining a deeper appreciation for differing culinary tastes.

Most Creative Snack Box
Credit: Bokksu
Specs
  • Price: Starts at $49.95/month

If you're looking to expand your options outside of American snacks, why not try some snacks from Japan?

Each monthly Bokksu(opens in a new tab) box features snacks from different regions of the island nation. A monthly subscription costs $49.95, but a year-long subscription makes it $39.95 per box. Each delivery also comes with a tea pairing based on a different cultural theme (past ones include Kanto New Year and Sakura Spring) and a tasting guide to give you some extra insight into your snacks' histories. Use code FIRST5 at checkout to get $5 off your first box.

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Carlos Cadorniga

Carlos is a New York-based ecommerce content writer ready to tell you what to buy. He has previously written for Adventure Publishing Group with toy and movie reviews as well as Anime News Network on anime interest articles because liking anime is the least nerdy thing about him. When not reviewing products, he's probably doing sociological analyses on pop culture that no one asked for. He has been told on several occasions that he does a really good Mickey Mouse impression.


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